Canadian Soccer Business points to 'new, landmark offer' made to Canada Soccer

TORONTO — While Canada Soccer says a new labour agreement with its players is contingent on a reworked deal with Canadian Soccer Business, CSB says it "proactively made a new, landmark offer" six weeks ago.

Kevin Blue, Canada Soccer's CEO and general secretary, said Monday that the association has reached a "framework" for a long-awaited labour agreement with its men's and women's national teams. But he emphasized that sealing the deal is contingent on a reworked agreement with Canadian Soccer Business.

CSB, whose investor group and board includes the Canadian Premier League owners, looks after marketing and broadcast rights for both Canada Soccer and the CPL, now in its sixth season.

The players have complained the CSB agreement is holding the game back and preventing national teams from getting the preparation they need.

Canada Soccer is believed to receive some $4 million a year under the current CSB deal as "the beneficiary of a rights fee guarantee." That amount has been boosted by some $500,000 each year leading up to the 2026 World Cup.

In a short statement Tuesday, CSB said it was "pleased" that progress had been made between Canada Soccer and its players. And it said its offer was "for the benefit of all stakeholders."

"Since then, we have been actively engaged in the process of bettering our partnership, and we are encouraged by the discussions with Canada Soccer’s leadership," it added.

“It is time for all stakeholders to come together to ensure the next couple of years are the most successful and cohesive in Canadian soccer history, as we build toward hosting the 2026 World Cup on home soil.”

CSB did not provide details of its offer. Neither did Canada Soccer.

"The parties have been working towards a revised agreement for several months, including active negotiations about its terms this week," Paulo Senra, Canada Soccer's chief communications and content officer, said Tuesday. "The conversations have been respectful and productive."

Blue, who joined Canada Soccer in late February, put the onus squarely on CSB in his statement Monday.

"A critical step to finalizing a CBA is a revision to the Canadian Soccer Business deal that will be more favourable to Canada Soccer and will put it on a firm financial footing going forward," Blue said. "The new CBA framework is contingent on such a revision to the CSB deal.

"Canada Soccer’s leadership and CSB are in active discussions on a restructured deal, and we are hopeful we will arrive at a positive conclusion soon."

Blue said the players have been "true partners throughout the negotiations."

"They have made meaningful concessions to help put Canada Soccer in a better position to fund other important priorities more effectively," he said.

The Canadian Soccer Players Association, which represents the women's team, confirmed that progress had been made on the labour front.

"While we don’t yet have a collective bargaining agreement, the players have worked hard with Kevin to align on a framework that we view as fair and equitable, and that brings us closer than ever to a long-term deal," the association said in a statement Monday.

And the women credited Blue for his "courtesy, transparency and candour."

"He has earned our trust and our respect. We share the same vision for what this federation can be, and look forward to working collaboratively with him for years to come to build up the sport we love in the country we are so proud to play for."

The women’s previous labour deal expired at the end of 2021. While they had previously reached an interim labour agreement with Canada Soccer, that deal was tied to the men's negotiations given the pay equity provisions of the deal.

The sixth-ranked Canadian women formed their players’ association in 2016.

Their association has filed a $40-million lawsuit against 15 current and former board members of Canada Soccer, alleging "negligence and breach of fiduciary duty" over the CSB contract.

The 40th-ranked men are negotiating their first formal agreement in the wake of forming their own players association, the Canada Men’s National Soccer Team Players Association, in the summer of 2022.

The lengthy, acrimonious labour dispute has seen job action in the past and — in addition to the women's lawsuit — prompted the resignation of former Canada Soccer president Nick Bontis and job action by both teams.

The Canadian men boycotted a World Cup warm-up against Panama in Vancouver in June 2022 while the women briefly refused to train at the SheBelieves Cup in early 2023 before reluctantly returning to the field after Canada Soccer threatened legal action.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024